Traveler&#39;s check



March 22 1927. J. T. BACON TRAVELERS CHECK Filed June 15, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N VEN TOR.' .Elm Taon,

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`Filed June 15, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.-

March 22 1927. 1,621,865

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Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

JOHN T. BACON, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAVELERS CHECK.

Application filed June 15, 1926. ySerial No. 116,067.

This invention relates to travelers or bankers checks.

When a travelers check is issued it is signed by the payee in the presence of the issuing clerk and when cashed it is countersigned by the payee in the presence of the payor to show the payor that the signatures correspond andA were both signed by the payee, thereby proving that the payee is the rightful owner of the check. This` is the usual system of issuing and cashing travelers checks and was intended to prevent unscrupulous persons from forging the check.

The objection to checks issued and cashed in this manner is that it is a comparatively easy matter for an unscrupulous person, who obtains ossession of the check, to copy and counter eit the signature of the rightful owner and then forge the check- The objects of my invention are to provide a checkfrom which it is practically impossible to copy and counterfeit the signature of the rightful owner; on which the signature is concealed in such manner that it cannot be exposed without marring or mutilating the check to such degree as to be easily detected, and which becomes void when the seal concealing the signature is broken.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings in whic i Figure 1 is a face view of a check made in accordance with my invention before it is issued,

Figure 2 a like view showing the check after being issued,

Figure 3 a fragmentary face view of the check showing the manner in which the issuinv' stub is detached, p

tFigure 4 a fragmentary perspective view of the check showing one step of folding the stub to conceal the payees signature, n

Figure 5 a like view showing the second ste Figure 6 a similar view showing the third ste Figure 7 a similar view showing thefourth step with a modified form of means for securing the folded stub to the body part `of Vthe check, and

Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 other modified forms of means for securing the folded stubto the body of the check.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the body part of the check, 2 the signature concealing stub and 3 the issuing stub.

The Aissuing stub has spaces thereon in whichthe date of issue and the name and address of the person to Whom the check is issued, are written bythe issuing clerk f payee, places his signature, and a space 8 in which the cashier of the institution issuing the check writes his signature. rlhis stub is scored partway from the edges toward the center as indicated by the dotted lines 9 so that the stub may be torn along these lines and is then folded on the lines 1() and 11.

The left hand end of the folded stub is then folded substantially Iin the position indicated by line 12 which may also appear on the rear of the concealing stub `and on a line 13 onto body part 1 to be secured thereto.

rlhe body part 1 may have printed matter thereon of'any desired character preferably i as shown which includes a space 14 in whic the payee writes his signature, and spaces 15 and 16 in which oficers of the issuing institutions place their signatures. A space 17 is preferably provided-on the body part for receiving a light re-acting chemical which is applied to the space at the time the check is issued and which will be sealed against light by the concealing stub.

The concealing stub when folded onto the body part may be secured and sealed thereto by a plain strip sticker 18 shown in Figure 2, or a series of wax-stamps 19 shown in Figure 8, or glue 2O shown in Figure 9, or a stamp 21 as shown in Figure 10 which may be marked with the seal of the :issuing institution, or a stamp 22 which is glued around Vthe entire free edges of the folded concealing stubl as shown in Figure 11, or a rivet 23 as shown in Figure `7 which passes through the folded concealing stub and the body part and which may be in the form of lan eyelet, staple, or any other type of metalalong which stub 3 is lic fastener which is upset or bent in order to secure the same.

Vhen a check is issued, the date and the name and address of the person to whom the check will be issued, are written in the spaces 4L of the issuing stub which is then signed by the issuing officer. The date of issue is then written in the space 6 of the concealing stub after which the payee writes his signature in the space 7 in the presence of the issuing clerk. The cashier of the in stitution issuing the check then places his signature in the space 8. The issuing stub is then detached from the concealing stub along the scored line 5 and the concealing stub is partly detached from the body part l along the lines 9. lf the light reacting chemical is used, the issuing clerk` then places the lightre-acting chemical in the space 17 and folds the concealing stub along the lines 10, 11, 12 and '13 as shown in Figures il, 5, 6, 3 and 7, after which the folded stub may be sealed and secured to thebody part in any one of the ways shown in Figures, 7, 8, 9, l0 and ll. The payee then receives the check and may cash the saine where such checks are recognized, by writing his signature in the space 14 in the presence ofthe payer who will then break the seal and open the concealing stub to compare the signature and inspect the light re-acting chemical- 1f the signatures compare favorably and the chemical is not discoloi'ed, the payer is assured that the person presenting the check is the rightful owner and will pay the amount of the check.

If for any reason any unscrupulous person Y obtains possession of the check, it will be Y the fol-ded stub is broken.

practically impossible for that person to see or Vcopy the signature of the payee for counterfeiting purposes unless the seal of Should said person break the seal, it will mutilate or mar the check andiwhen presen-ted to the Vpayor may be readily detected. rlie payor knowing the check has been tampered with, will refuse paymentbecause the person presenty ing the check may not be the rightful owner.

If, however, the person presenting the check signs the naine of the payee in the space lll and the check does not appear to be marred, the payor upon breaking the seal will inspect the light re-acting chemical in space 17 and if it is discolored, eren though thek signatures of said person and the payee compare favorably, the payor should refuse payment, because the perso-n presenting the check has tampered with the seal and may not be the rightful owner.

As an additional safeguard the naine of the payeeV may be written with a chemical known as invisible ink which may be exposed only by passing the stub over a flame Vand subjecting the signature to its Iheat.

Once exposed the signature remains exposed Leenses nei' that it is practically impossible for an unscrupulous person obtaining possession of the check to counterfeit the signature and forge the check without detection..

While I have described my invention as taking aV particular form, it will be undei'- stood that the various parts may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to .the precise construction set forth, but consider that l am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come wit-hiru the yscope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Y l. A check includinga body part provided with a space appropriately ,designated for the signature of the payee; a lconcealing stub integra-l with said part and having a space appropriatelyv designated for the payees signature, a space on the body of said check appropriately designated to receive a light ire-acting chemical, said stub being partially scored and thereby adapted to be folded to conceal the signature and l* said chemical, and means for fastening the folded stub to the body part.

2. A check including a body part provided with a space appropriately designated .for the signature of the payee; a concealing stub integral with said part and having aspace appropriately designated for the payeel-s signature and la space: appropriately designated to receive a light re-acting chemical and scored lines extending partway from the Vopposite edges toward the' center of the .stub

whereby the stub may be partly detached and folded to conceal .the .signature and said appropriately designated for the conceal the signature and said substance, and means passing through the folded stub and the body part for securing the stub thereto.

4. A check including a body part provided with a Space appropriately designated for the signature of the payee; a concealing stub integral With said part and having a space appropriately designated for the payees signature, a space on said body and stub appropriately designated to receive a substance having a certain appearance when concealed from the light and another appearance When exposed to the light, said stub having scored portions therey adapting it to be folded to conceal the signature and said substance, and a rivet passing through the folded stub and the body part for securthe stub thereto.

n testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

JOHN T. BACON. 

